RPI Musings

After last night's game, our RPI jumped 19 spots, from 136 to 117. For in conference RPI purposes, every team that helps our RPI won last night. We needed UTA to beat Coastal and TX St to beat Appy. Both of those things happened. Monday we need both Texas schools to win again. The other Conference games were RPI neutral for us.

Since we play Appy and Coastal only once, but the Texas schools twice, we picked up 4 wins and 2 losses last night in our opponents records. Anytime Appy, Coastal, USA or Troy play anyone else in the conference not in that group, we need them to lose. Against each other it is a wash.

Had we won, last night would have been a perfect night in the Sun Belt for us.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by VObserver

Minnesota opened their Big 10 season today with a road win at Purdue. More awesomeness for the Cajuns.

Plus, Georgia won at Auburn a few days ago. This just indicates the pre season schedule was a little tougher than we originally believed. This is nice but the guys have to be more focused than yesterday if they want to have conference success as well. After thinking about it, I am actually a little more upset with the defense than free throw shooting. FT shooting can be attributed to nerves but it is is disappointing to let guys dribble into the paint as often as the Red Wolves did yesterday. At times they were able to do so by going right and that is something you should just cut off after a couple of times. If the Cajuns win consistently in conference play the RPI will take care of itself.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by VObserver

After last night's game, our RPI jumped 19 spots, from 136 to 117. For in conference RPI purposes, every team that helps our RPI won last night. We needed UTA to beat Coastal and TX St to beat Appy. Both of those things happened. Monday we need both Texas schools to win again. The other Conference games were RPI neutral for us.

Since we play Appy and Coastal only once, but the Texas schools twice, we picked up 4 wins and 2 losses last night in our opponents records. Anytime Appy, Coastal, USA or Troy play anyone else in the conference not in that group, we need them to lose. Against each other it is a wash.

Had we won, last night would have been a perfect night in the Sun Belt for us.

The women are at 175, up from 191.

Mostly correct. You don't actually pick up the opponent's record until you play them. But the future results will be the same.

Re: RPI Musings

Mike, I agree that it is important to win, but if we strive to compete beyond the SBC, it is operative that we schedule our non conference games with RPI as a primary consideration. The SBC is a one bid league precisely because not enough conference teams schedule well out of conference.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by VObserver

Mike, I agree that it is important to win, but if we strive to compete beyond the SBC, it is operative that we schedule our non conference games with RPI as a primary consideration. The SBC is a one bid league precisely because not enough conference teams schedule well out of conference.

What is UTA's RPI. They did well in pre conference. Were we to win the tourney while they win the regular season, is it possible the Mavs get an at large. With a league RPI of 12, it may be possible. That is the highest RPI I recall for the conference in many years. For us to get a higher RPI in non conference we simply will have to play more money road games. Staff tries to balance the schedule some in regards to no. of home games vs road due to academics as much as anything else. Still, if you become good enough to compete more strongly in those road contests, your RPI will improve. Maybe they will feel confident enough to do that next year with all the transfers coming in .

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by Cajunsmike

What is UTA's RPI. They did well in pre conference. Were we to win the tourney while we win the regular season, is it possible the Mavs get an at large. With a league RPI of 12, it may be possible. That is the highest RPI I recall for the conference in many years.

As of today, UTA is 27 and stAte is 37. There are several other schools that did well in non conference that could help maintain those numbers at a reasonably high level. The top 2/3 of the conference will not be RPI killers this year, and as luck would have it, both Appy and Coastal are in that group, so only ULM and Texas State will hurt us twice, and they can partially offset that by beating Coastal and Appy.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by Cajunsmike

They are both candidates for at large bids with nos. like that.

Mike, if the conference plays out as I expect it will, we could possibly have 4 teams in conference in the top 75. Unless some teams unexpectedly crater, I believe that UTA, stAte, GaSt and the Cajuns can all be at 75 or better by the end of the regular season. I am almost certain that 4 will be in the top 100, and it has been a while since the SBC had that.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by Cajunsmike

What is UTA's RPI. They did well in pre conference. Were we to win the tourney while they win the regular season, is it possible the Mavs get an at large. With a league RPI of 12, it may be possible. That is the highest RPI I recall for the conference in many years. For us to get a higher RPI in non conference we simply will have to play more money road games. Staff tries to balance the schedule some in regards to no. of home games vs road due to academics as much as anything else. Still, if you become good enough to compete more strongly in those road contests, your RPI will improve. Maybe they will feel confident enough to do that next year with all the transfers coming in .

Mike, we don't have to schedule many, if any, more money road games to help our RPI. We just have to schedule smart. Texas Southern is going to be great for our RPI this year. They played a killer ooc schedule, and they will in all likelihood crush the SWAC again this year. I am looking for around a 20-10 record from them. There are other schools like that if we look for them. If we project the top 1/3 of all the conferences rated below the SBC, and schedule from that group, trying to get the top teams if possible, we would be fine ooc just scheduling one or two money games to toughen us up.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by Cajunsmike

Were we to win the tourney while they win the regular season, is it possible the Mavs get an at large. With a league RPI of 12, it may be possible. That is the highest RPI I recall for the conference in many years.

Mike, you know more about this than me. Looking at this site http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...ogy/conference
There are 32 conferences. The Sunbelt is ranked about 13-14. There are only 9 conferences that get multiple bids (and the last 3 only get 2 bids each). So, my initial thought is we would have to be in the top 9 or 10 conferences. I know this is all projections, but can you still see a conference ranked 12th getting two bids?

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by IberiaCajun

Mike, you know more about this than me. Looking at this site http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...ogy/conference
There are 32 conferences. The Sunbelt is ranked about 13-14. There are only 9 conferences that get multiple bids (and the last 3 only get 2 bids each). So, my initial thought is we would have to be in the top 9 or 10 conferences. I know this is all projections, but can you still see a conference ranked 12th getting two bids?

Both Texas-Arlington and Arkansas State seem to have scheduled well enough in non-conference so that they could be considered for at large bids if they can stay in the top 40 of the rpi rankings. Both of them lost to Minnesota (#17), UTA lost to #41 Arkansas, ASU lost to #26 TCU. UTA's best win was against #28 St. Mary's, ASU's was against #71 Georgetown. All of these were road games. Both of these teams will likely have to dominate the conference if they want to be considered for at large bids.

Re: RPI Musings

Originally Posted by lcitsh

Both Texas-Arlington and Arkansas State seem to have scheduled well enough in non-conference so that they could be considered for at large bids if they can stay in the top 40 of the rpi rankings. Both of them lost to Minnesota (#17), UTA lost to #41 Arkansas, ASU lost to #26 TCU. UTA's best win was against #28 St. Mary's, ASU's was against #71 Georgetown. All of these were road games. Both of these teams will likely have to dominate the conference if they want to be considered for at large bids.

While I agree it is an uphill battle because of the bias, at the start of conference play there were 5 SBC teams in the top 150 RPI, and 7, I believe with winning records vs D1 teams. Playing in conference this year will not be as big an RPI killer as usual.